Ladi Kwali biography: creations, spouse, family, 20 Naira bill.
Ladi Kwali is an extraordinary individual who has etched her mark in history as one of Nigeria’s most esteemed potters. Coming from a heritage of potters, Ladi Kwali has distinguished herself as arguably the greatest female potter Nigeria has ever seen, in addition to being one of the influential women who played a pivotal role in shaping the country.
Ladi Kwali: Overview
Complete name: Dr Hadiza Ladi Kwali
Year of birth: 1925
Year of passing: 12 August 1984 (aged 58–59)
Sibling: Mallam Mekaniki Kyebese
Profession: Artist, Ceramist, Potter, and former educator
Ladi Kwali: Birth and Early Years
Ladi Kwali was born in 1925 in a charming village called Kwali, primarily inhabited by the Gbagyi tribe (Gwari) in present-day Abuja, which has since experienced significant growth. While primarily recognized as Gwari by locals, Ladi was actually of Gbagyi origin, a cultural background that greatly influenced her artistic work. She adopted her village’s name, leading her to be known as Ladi Kwali.
In Ladi’s community, one of the prevalent professions among women was pottery, and she was born into a revered family of potters. Her aunt introduced her to this craft at a tender age, utilizing a traditional technique referred to as the Gwarin Yamma coiling and pinching method. In a notably short time, Ladi Kwali began fashioning various pots, including large water jars, cooking pots, bowls, and beyond.
Ladi Kwali: Education
Ladi Kwali is not extensively recognized to have undertaken any formal education during her upbringing; however, her talent in pottery was so evident that her brother remarked, “even in her youthful days, Ladi Kwali thrived in her craft, and her wares were often sold even before they reached the markets.”
During this period, Michael Cardew, appointed by the British colonial government as pottery officer to the Department of Commerce and Industry in 1951, first came across Ladi’s works in the home of the Emir of Abuja, Alhaji Suleiman Barau; he was so taken by her art that he arranged to meet her.
Mr. Cardew initiated a pottery training center in Abuja (now Suleja) in April 1952. In 1954, Ladi became the first female potter at the center, where she honed her skills in wheel throwing, glazing, kiln firing, production of saggars, and the use of slip. In a brief timeframe, Ladi Kwali progressed to the position of instructor.
She showcased exceptional aptitude in creating designs with sgrafitto decoration, especially in her bowls. This technique involved dipping items into red or white slip and utilizing a porcupine quill to carve the decoration through the slip down to the foundational material. At the outset of her professional journey, her cultural background and immediate environment profoundly influenced her art, inspiring her to create pottery pieces rich in Gbagyi symbolism intertwined with personal significance.
Her creations notably emphasized symmetrical finishes, which is said to have unveiled a certain mathematical quality. In her role as an educator, by the time Mr. Michael Cardew departed from the training center, four new female students had enrolled to study pottery.
Although she lacked formal education prior to joining the training center, Ladi Kwali was selected as an expert for the Abuja Pottery Training Centre; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; and demonstrated her abilities in multiple institutions across Europe and America.
Ladi Kwali: Accomplishments, Honors, Career, and Legacy
Ladi Kwali achieved a great deal throughout her lifetime, leading to an array of accolades. Among numerous honors, in 1977, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria awarded her an honorary doctorate degree. In 1980, the Nigerian Government granted her the highest national accolade for academic achievement, the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM). In 1981, Ladi was bestowed with the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
Ladi Kwali’s designs, involving pots and other artifacts, have been featured in international exhibitions of Abuja pottery in 1958, 1959, and 1962, orchestrated by Mr. Michael Cardew, the founder of the Abuja pottery training center. In 1961, she conducted a live demonstration at the Royal College, Farnham, and Wenford Bridge in Great Britain. In 1972, she journeyed to America with Cardew.
Ladi Kwali has traveled to several countries in the West. Her artworks, such as those in the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, USA, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Aberystwyth University Ceramics Gallery, United Kingdom, are recognized worldwide.
Her pieces garnered considerable praise in London during Nigeria’s independence celebration in October 1960, and earlier in the ’50s, Ladi’s creations were featured in an exhibition at the Berkeley Galleries, London.
In 1963, she was awarded the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire, MBE. That same year, at the 10th International Exhibition for Ceramic Art at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, she earned a Silver Award for Excellence.
The year she received an honorary PhD from Ahmadu Bello University coincided with the year her likeness was printed on the reverse side of the Nigerian N20 Naira bill.
A prominent street named in her honor in Abuja and Niger state is Ladi Kwali Road, acknowledging her contributions; this road stands as a testament to her legacy.
One of the largest convention centers in Abuja, located within the prestigious Sheraton hotel, proudly carries the name Ladi Kwali Convention Center. In the early 1980s, the Abuja Pottery Training Centre was rebranded as The Ladi Kwali Pottery Centre.
Ladi Kwali: Passing
Ladi Kwali departed this life in Minna, Niger state, on 12th August 1984 due to natural causes. She was laid to rest there.
Ladi Kwali: Trivia
1. She was the first female potter at the Abuja Pottery Training Centre
2. Kwali was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 1963
3. She was guided by her aunt
4. Her artworks were exhibited at Nigeria’s independence event in 1960
5. Her image appears on the reverse of the Nigerian N20 Naira bill
She also received the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 1981
7. The Cardew Pottery in Abuja was renamed the Ladi Kwali Pottery, and significant street is named Ladi Kwali Road in Abuja
8. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria conferred upon her an honorary doctorate
9. Her artworks were displayed to high acclaim in London at the Berkeley Galleries
10. The Emir of Abuja acquired several of her pieces
11. Ladi was honored with the Silver Award of Excellence at the Tenth International Exhibition of Ceramic Arts, Washington D.C.
12. A sculpture of Ladi has been placed at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
13. Despite her inability to read or write, she lectured on her work at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
14. Her artworks are celebrated in Britain, Europe, and America
15. In 1980, the Nigerian Government conferred upon Kwali the insignia of the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM), the highest national distinction for academic achievement.
